Rays to play odds in draft

The Devil Rays are entering a draft daze of their own.

With five weeks until the annual June selection, Rays officials are working feverishly to decide whom to take with the first overall pick.

They've narrowed the field to a top-secret top five, a group that likely includes a combination of Southern University second baseman Rickie Weeks, Wake Forest pitcher Kyle Sleeth, Richmond pitcher Tim Stauffer, California high school outfielder Delmon Young (younger brother of big-leaguer Dmitri Young), Gainesville Buchholz left-hander Andrew Miller and/or Chipola J.C. left-hander Adam Loewen, who was the No.4 pick last year by Baltimore but thus far hasn't signed. (They also have been watching Dunedin outfielder Ryan Harvey as he comes back from a knee injury.)

Scouting/player development chief Cam Bonifay said the plan is not simply to draft the cliche best player available but the one who has the most talent and the best chance to realize his potential in the big leagues.

"We would like to always take the best player with the best ability and the highest percentage of what we think the success ratio is for the player to make it in the major leagues," Bonifay said.

A decision will not be made until just before the June 3-5 draft, and Bonifay said finances won't be an issue, "not at all."

This is an important draft as the Rays keep trying to fill holes in their farm system, and it starts at the top. The Rays had the No.1 pick once before and took a can't-miss outfielder named Josh Hamilton in 1999. Haven't heard much about him lately.

INTERESTING OBSERVATION: Tanyon Sturtze is happy to be with the Blue Jays, especially with a 3-1 record. But after all he gave the Rays, it's hard for him not to think of what might have been.

"I think they're going in the right direction now, and that's why I said I kind of wanted to stay, because I knew Lou (Piniella) would get things going in the right direction and bring in some people that could play," he said.

"They're a pretty exciting team to watch now. We were a pretty boring team the last couple seasons."

CROWD CONTROL: Thursday's paid crowd of 8,618 was the second smallest in Rays history. But it was the smallest ever announced.

Until this season, the Rays never had announced a crowd less than 10,000. But team records show 12 crowds less than 10,000 during the first two months of the 2001 season. The reason? John McHale, during his brief tenure as chief operating officer, discovered a discrepancy in how the Rays figured the announced totals and revised the attendance figures.

The all-time low is 8,346 on May 25, 2001, against Anaheim. For now.

HOO-RAYS: Don't be surprised if John Rocker heads to Double-A Orlando this week rather than Triple A. ... The Diamonds in the Rough program, where head groundskeeper Dan Moeller and staff will help improve and maintain area youth fields, is a good one. ... Dewon Brazelton was not called up because the Durham coaching staff felt he needed a couple more minor-league starts to be ready. ... To help build strength, Nick Bierbrodt is trying a novel way to gain weight: "I started eating hot dogs and cheese puffs."